Container lid system with tamper indicator

ABSTRACT

A container lid system is provided. The system has a lid with a top cover and coupling trough and at least two retaining tabs. When the lid is attached to a beverage container, the retaining tabs travel over the bead rim of the container, and grip the lid onto the beverage container. The lid may be detached from the beverage container by lifting on the retaining tab, and thus permanently deforming the tab such that the deformation indicates that the lid has been tampered with. The lid is constructed such that the retaining tabs have sufficient force to grip the beverage container and form a liquid-tight seal with the beverage container&#39;s pressurized contents. The lid&#39;s retaining tabs, however, are constructed to bend when a force is applied to them, wherein that force is one that a person can exert with a finger. Thus, the lid can be easily press-fitted onto a container and removed by hand.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is also related to U.S. Pat. No. 8,596,491 entitled“CUP LID WITH INTEGRATED CONTAINER” issued on Dec. 3, 2013; U.S. Pat.No. 8,695,845 entitled “TOP MOUNTING CAN CONTAINER” issued on Apr. 15,2014; U.S. Pat. No. 8,381,935 entitled “CUP LID WITH INTEGRATEDCONTAINER” issued on Feb. 26, 2013; U.S. Pat. 8,714,393 entitled “CUPLID WITH INTEGRATED CONTAINER” issued on May 6, 2014; U.S. Pat.8,590,730 entitled “TOP MOUNTING CAN CONTAINER” issued on Nov. 26, 2013;U.S. Pat. No. 8,708,181 entitled “LID WITH INTEGRATED CONTAINER” issuedon Apr. 29, 2014; U.S. Pat. No. 8,701,914 entitled “TWO-PART RECYCLABLECUP” issued on Apr. 22, 2014; U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/412,602 entitled “TOP MOUNTING BOTTLE CONTAINER” filed on Mar. 5,2012; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/680,011 entitled “CUP LID WITHINTEGRATED CONTAINER” filed on Nov. 17, 2012; U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/680,049 entitled “CUP LID WITH INTEGRATED CONTAINER” filedon Nov. 17, 2012; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/733,153 entitled“CUP LID WITH INTEGRATED CONTAINER” filed on Jan. 3, 2013; U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/263,993 entitled “LID WITH INTEGRATED CONTAINER”filed on Apr. 28, 2014; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/269,016entitled “A CONTAINER LID WITH ONE OR MORE CAVITIES” filed on May 2,2014; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/274,576 entitled “A CONTAINERLID WITH A FOOD COMPARTMENT AND A SIP-HOLE” filed on May 9, 2014; U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/313,907 entitled “A CONTAINER LID SYSTEMWITH A LID PORTION AND FOOD CONTAINER PORTION” filed on Jun. 24, 2014;and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 62/005,862 entitled “A CONTAINERLID SYSTEM WITH A LID PORTION AND FOOD CONTAINER PORTION” filed on May30, 2014; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/500,266 entitled “BENDABLEDRINKING STRAW” filed on Aug. 22, 2014; U.S. Patent Application62/038,209 entitled “BENDABLE SAFETY STRAW” filed on Aug. 16, 2014; andU.S. Patent Application 62/105,256 entitled “BENDABLE SAFETY STRAW ANDLIDS WITH FOOD COMPARTMENT” filed on Jan. 20, 2015, all of which are bythe same inventor of the present application. Each of these applicationsis incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to lids for beverage containers, andparticularly to a new and novel lid system that can be removed by hand.

BACKGROUND

Beer, soda, juice, milk, tea, iced coffee and other beverages are soldin individual glass or plastic beverage containers that are oftenlocated in the refrigerated section of retail establishments. Oftenthese individual containers are opened by removing the metal or plasticcap, and the beverage contained within the container is directlyconsumed.

These bottles, however, have several shortcomings. First, they havenarrow openings and consumers often prefer to drink from containers thathave a wide opening. In such an event, the consumer may pour thecontents into a conventional drinking glass and dispose of the beveragecontainer. Second, to maintain the pressure of a carbonated beveragewithin the container, the rim may be threaded with a cap that can beremoved by the consumer. But consumers prefer to drink out of containerswithout threading because a smoother feel is more pleasing to the mouth.Third, those containers that do not have threading require a crimped lidthat must be pried off with a bottle opener. A consumer may not havesuch an opener, diminishing the convenience of that beverage container.Finally, consumers do not reuse these containers for everyday use;rather, once the consumer drinks directly from the container ortransfers the contents to a drinking glass, the container is discardedor recycled.

Wide-rim containers, such as those containing jam, peanut butter, andnuts may have a replaceable lid wherein, once the contents are consumedand the lid is no longer utilized, the wide-rimmed container convertsinto a household drinking glass. But these types of containers utilizemetal caps that provide a sufficient seal for food items but are notengineered to provide a strong seal for carbonated and/or pressurizedbeverages.

There have been attempts in the prior art to resolve these issues, butthey too have their shortcomings. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,441,742contains ears that are secured by a ring that is placed over the earsand compresses the ears into the container. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No.34,976 and 3,532,244 employ a ring. The problem with each of thesedesigns is that the ring is applied to the lid “forcibly and with greatpower” (U.S. Pat. No. 34,976), and therefore the end user would need todislodge that ring with greater force and power—requiring tooling to doso. Often, instead of sliding the ring off, the user cuts the ring; andonce cut, the ring, being under great tension, may suddenly andviolently dislodge, injuring the user. Also, installing the ring addsadditionally manufacturing steps, increasing cost and complexity.

Another attempt is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,797, where the lid has acomplete skirt around the container rim that is crimped as isconventionally done in narrow-rimmed containers. A tab is attached toone edge of the crimped lid and allows a user to dislodge the lid. Theproblem with this design is the manufacturer must place the lid on thebottle and then crimp it for a proper seal. The lid does not allow for apress-fit. Also, the lid is designed for a narrow-rimmed container.

What is needed therefore is a lid system that overcomes thesedeficiencies and provides consumers with a container that may be reusedas a conventional wide-rimmed drinking glass. This solution not onlyreduces waste, it also increases the product appeal of the beverage.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides an elegant solution to the needsdescribed above and provides numerous additional benefits and advantagesas will be apparent to persons of skill in the art. One aspect providesa beverage container lid for use with a beverage container having a beadrim, the bead rim defining an opening and having a cross-sectional shapewith an upper bead point and an outer bead point. The lid has a topcover adapted to cover the opening and a coupling trough connected tothe top cover and shaped to conform to the cross-sectional shape of thebead rim. The coupling trough circumscribes the bead rim and extendsfrom the upper bead point to a position at or higher than the outer beadpoint. The lid also has at least two retaining tabs connected to andextending downwardly away from the coupling trough, the tabs having acoupling trough extension shaped to conform to the cross-sectional shapeof the bead rim, wherein the coupling trough extension circumscribes aportion of the bead rim and extends from the coupling trough to aposition that is below the outer bead point, wherein the coupling troughextension has a bend axis with a yield strength. A diagonal receivingwall is connected to and extends downwardly away from the couplingtrough extension, and the diagonal receiving wall has a strength rib, adistal end and a length. The strength rib increases the moment ofinertia of the diagonal receiving wall along an axis parallel to thebend axis. The bend axis and the diagonal receiving wall length areconstructed such that the yield strength is overcome with a force ofless than 20 N applied to the diagonal receiving wall distal end.

In other aspects, the coupling trough has a cut or a stamped score lineadjacent to at least one of the coupling trough extensions. The topcover also may have a cover strength rib. The diagonal receiving walldistal end may also have a finger grab area with a downward stampedprojection with an exposed grip edge. A gasket may also be disposed atleast partially in the coupling trough, and the lid may further have atleast four retaining tabs.

Other aspects include a visual indicator that the lid has been tamperedwith when the bend axis irreversibly deforms when the force of less than20 N is applied to the diagonal receiving wall distal end.

In yet another aspect, the lid is constructed such that it canelastically withstand a compression force when the lid is pressed ontothe beverage container. The compression force is sufficient toelastically deform the coupling trough extension about the bend axissuch that the coupling trough extension can move past the outer beadpoint and return at least partially to its pre-deformed shape. The lidmay further include a gasket disposed at least partially in the couplingtrough, wherein when the coupling trough extension returns at leastpartially to its pre-deformed shape, the gasket forms a liquid- andgas-tight seal with the container. The lid may further be constructed tohave a restorative force that returns the coupling trough extension atleast partially to its pre-deformed shape, and wherein that restorativeforce is sufficient to maintain the lid onto the beverage container whenthe contents of the beverage container exert a pressure of at least 500KPa on the cover.

The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not meant to beexhaustive. Other aspects, objects, and advantages of this inventionwill be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing thedrawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention can be better understood with reference to the followingfigures. The components within the figures are not necessarily to scale,emphasis instead being placed on clearly illustrating example aspects ofthe invention. In the figures, like reference numerals designatecorresponding parts throughout the different views and/or embodiments.It will be understood that certain components and details may not appearin the figures to assist in more clearly describing the invention.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the novel container lid system, withtamper indicator attached, on a beverage container.

FIG. 2 is an isometric exploded view of the novel lid system of FIG. 1with the lid detached from the gasket and beverage container.

FIG. 3A is a cross section of the novel lid system of FIG. 1, takenalong line 3A-3A of FIG. 4A, attached to a beverage container.

FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 3C is a cross section of the novel lid system of FIG. 1, takenalong line 3C-3C of FIG. 4A, attached to a beverage container.

FIG. 3D is a cross section of the novel lid system of FIG. 1 taken alongline 3C-3C of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4A is an isometric top view of the novel lid system of FIG. 1,without the beverage container.

FIG. 4B is an isometric bottom view of the novel lid system of FIG. 1with a gasket and without the beverage container.

FIG. 5A is an isometric top view of a second embodiment of a novelcontainer lid system without the beverage container, where the cover hascover strengthening ribs.

FIG. 5B is an isometric bottom view of the novel lid system of FIG. 5Awith a gasket and without the beverage container.

FIG. 6A is an isometric view of the novel lid system of FIG. 1 with thelid attached to a beverage container.

FIG. 6B is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 7A is a cross section of the novel lid system of FIG. 1, when thelid first contacts the beverage container.

FIG. 7B is a cross section of the novel lid system of FIG. 1, when thelid is compressed onto the beverage container, and the coupling troughextension clears the outer edge of the beverage container bead rim.

FIG. 7C is a cross section of the novel lid system of FIG. 1, when thelid is securely fixed to the beverage container.

FIG. 8A is a cross section of the novel lid system of FIG. 1, when thelid is securely fixed to the beverage container.

FIG. 8B is a cross section of the novel lid system of FIG. 1, when aforce is first applied to the distal end of the diagonal receiving wallof a retaining tab.

FIG. 8C is a cross section of the novel lid system of FIG. 1, when theforce is further applied to the distal end of the diagonal receivingwall of a retaining tab.

FIG. 8D is a cross section of the novel lid system of FIG. 1, when theforce is further applied to the distal end of the diagonal receivingwall, thereby irreversible deforming the lid.

FIG. 9 is a side view of the lid that has been irreversible deformedwhen it has been detached from the beverage container.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the stress v. strain relationship.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Following is a non-limiting written description of example embodimentsillustrating various aspects of the invention. These examples areprovided to enable a person of ordinary skill in the art to practice thefull scope of the invention without having to engage in an undue amountof experimentation. As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art,further modifications and adaptations can be made without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention, which is limited only by theclaims.

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth inorder to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention.Particular example embodiments of the present invention may beimplemented without some or all of these features or specific details.In other instances, components well known to persons of skill in the arthave not been described in detail in order not to obscure unnecessarilythe present invention.

The invention that will be described herein relates to an easy to open,press fit metal lid for a wide-rimmed (or no-neck) container thatconverts into an everyday household drinking glass. Further aspects thatare associated with the embodiments of the invention are multipledownward-oriented tabs, a strong seal, and tamper-evident features thatindicate when the wide-rimmed metal lid has been removed from thewide-mouth glass container.

Referring to FIG. 1, a beverage container lid 10 is shown attached to abeverage container 20 by way of retaining tabs 30. In this embodiment,four retaining tabs 30 are used and only two are visible from thisperspective, but any number from two to twelve tabs may be employed. Theretaining tabs 30 hook around a bead rim 40 of the beverage container20, discussed in more detail below. FIG. 2 shows in exploded view thelid 10, with an optional gasket 50 that is disposed between the bead rim40 and the lid 10. The gasket 50 may be constructed of a resilientmaterial such as rubber, plastic, silicon or other composite materials,and makes for a more reliable seal between the lid 10 and the beveragecontainer 20. The gasket 50 may be configured as a ring shape or may beconfigured from a single layer of material. Because the lid 10 isdesigned to contain contents within the container 20 that may be underpressure (such as beer or soda), the contents will push on the lid 10with some pressure. The lid 10 is designed to press-fit onto thecontainer 20, and the gasket 50 deforms to accommodate the press-fit,and simultaneously seals the contents of the container 20.

FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D illustrate in greater detail the variouscomponents of the lid 10 that allow it to attach to the bead rim 40 ofthe container 20. FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of the lid 10attached to a container 20, taken along line 3A-3A of FIG. 4A; FIG. 3Bshows a portion of this view enlarged. The bead rim 40 of the container20 has a cross-sectional shape with an upper bead point 60 and an outerbead point 70 (this is shown also in FIG. 7A). Here the bead rim 40 asshown is circular, with the upper part of the circle defining the upperbead point 60 and the outermost edge of the circle defining the outerbead point 70. Other bead rim cross-sectional shapes are possible,including but not limited to rectangular. The lid 10 has a top cover 80adapted to cover the opening of the beverage container 20. A couplingtrough 90 is connected to the top cover 80 and shaped to conform to thecross-sectional shape of the bead rim 40. FIGS. 3C and 3D, which aretaken along the line 3C-3C in FIG. 4A, illustrate the coupling trough 90in more detail. The coupling trough 90 circumscribes the bead rim 40 andextends from the upper bead point 60 to a position at or above the outerbead point 70. The relative positions above and below are intended tomean vertically above or below when the top cover 80 is orientedhorizontally.

Returning to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the lid 10 also has at least two retainingtabs 30 connected to and extending downwardly away from the couplingtrough 90. The tabs 30 have a coupling trough extension 100 shaped toconform to the cross-sectional shape of the bead rim 40, wherein thecoupling trough extension 100 circumscribes a portion of the bead rim 40and extends from the coupling trough 90 to a position that is below theouter bead point 70. The relative positions above and below are intendedto mean vertically above or below when the top cover 80 is orientedhorizontally. Because the lid 100 and the coupling trough extension 100are constructed to be compliant in very tight ranges, the couplingtrough extension 100 conforms to the shape of the bead rim 40 that isbelow the outer bead point 70. The coupling trough extension 100 has abend axis 110 where the coupling trough extension 100 bends to fit overand move past the outer bead point 70. While FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3Cillustrate the lid 10 already installed on the container 20, thepress-fit aspects of the present disclosure are detailed below withreference to FIGS. 7A, 7B and 7C. The bend axis 110 has a yield strengththat is discussed in more detail with reference to FIG. 10.

The tab 30 also has a diagonal receiving wall 120 that is connected toand extends downwardly away from the coupling trough extension 100. Thediagonal receiving wall 120 has a strength rib 130 shown in betterdetail in FIGS. 3D and 4A. The diagonal receiving wall 120 has a distalend 140 and a length L. The strength rib 130 increases the moment ofinertia of the diagonal receiving wall 120 along an axis parallel to thebend axis 110. The diagonal receiving wall 120 is shaped to flare awayfrom the coupling trough extension 100. This flared (or diagonal) shapeserves several functions which are best illustrated with furtherreference to FIGS. 7A, 7B and 7C. First, when the lid 10 is press-fitonto the container 20, the diagonal receiving wall 120 provides a largerarea into which the container 20 may be inserted, and as the container20 is brought closer to the top cover 80, the diagonal receiving wall120 guides the bead rim 40 into proper position. Second, the flaredshape allows for space 150 between the container 20 and the diagonalreceiving wall distal end 140, such that a consumer may place a fingerwithin the space 150 and pull the tab 30 away from the container 20 inthe direction of arrow 160.

To assist the consumer in maintaining a good grip, the diagonalreceiving wall distal end 140 may also have a finger grab area 170 witha downward stamped projection 180 with an exposed grip edge 190 as shownin FIG. 6B.

FIG. 6B also illustrates that the coupling trough 90 circumscribes thebead rim 40 and extends from the upper bead point 60 to a position at orabove the outer bead point 70. It further shows how the coupling toughextension 100 extends from the coupling trough 90 to a position belowthe outer bead point 70, and that the coupling trough extension 100circumscribes only a portion of the bead rim 40.

FIG. 4B illustrates an isometric exploded bottom-side view of the lid 10with four tabs 30 and a ring-shaped gasket 50, although as previouslydisclosed, the gasket 50 may be made from a sheet of material. Thegasket 50 is at least partially disposed in the coupling trough 90. Thegasket 50 may additionally cover the underside of the top cover 80. Thegasket 50 may optionally be adhered to the coupling trough 90 or theunderside of the top cover 80 by any means such as adhesive or thermalbonding.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate a second embodiment where the top cover 80has at least one cover strength rib 200. The cover strength rib 200helps control flexing of the cover when the consumer is attempting toremove the lid from the container. This embodiment also has a cut(s) orstamped score line(s) 210 adjacent to at least one of the couplingtrough extensions 100. The cut or stamped score line 210 and thecoupling trough extension 100 define the bend axis with a yieldstrength. The cut or stamped score line 210 assists the consumer inlifting the tab 30 and releasing the lid 10 from the container 20.

FIGS. 7A, 7B and 7C illustrate the press-fit feature of the lid 10. InFIG. 7A, the container 20 has been aligned with the lid 10 by way of thediagonal receiving wall 120. Without compression in the direction ofarrow 220, the bottom edge of the coupling trough extension (shown atposition 230) could not travel over the outer bead point 70. Oncecompression is applied (FIG. 7B) however, the bend axis 110 begins toelastically deform, moving the diagonal receiving wall distal end 140 inthe direction of arrow 160. This also moves the bottom edge of thecoupling trough extension (shown at position 230) outward so that it canclear the outer bead point 70. Further compression (FIG. 7C) moves thebottom edge of the coupling trough extension (shown at position 230)past the outer bead point 70, causing the restorative force 240 of thelid 10 to return the lid to at least partially its pre-deformed shapeand allowing the coupling trough extension 100 to envelope the bottomside of the bead rim 40. It is further advantageous that the lid 10 atleast partially return to its pre-deformed shape because having sometension in the lid prevents the lid from moving, thereby reducing thepossibility of leaks. This restorative force 240 maintains the lid onthe container, even when the contents of the container are underpressure. The pressure in a can of soda or beer varies based on theamount of CO2 contained in the drink and the temperature. For example,it has been reported that a refrigerated can of 7UP® contains 210 kPa ofpressure, Pepsi-Cola® contains 276 kPa at approximately 16° C., andCoca-Cola Classic® at 34° C. has an internal pressure of approximately380 kPa. So the restorative force 240 must accommodate approximatelythis range of pressures.

FIGS. 8A, 8B, 8C and 8D illustrate the tamper-evident removal feature ofthe lid 10. FIG. 8A shows the lid 10 attached to the container 20 priorto a consumer attempting to dislodge the lid 10. At FIG. 8B the user isbeginning to apply force to the diagonal receiving wall distal end 140in the direction of arrow 160 but has not yet allowed the lower edge ofthe coupling trough extension 230 to clear the outer bead point 70. InFIG. 8C, the lower edge of the coupling trough extension 230 has clearedthe outer bead point 70, and in FIG. 8D, the user continues to applyforce and causes the tab 30 to permanently and irreversible deform. Atthis point, if the user ceases to apply force, the lid 10 will remain inthe deformed state, indicating that the lid 10 has been tampered with.FIG. 9 is a side view, without the beverage container, of the lid 10after tampering.

The number of retaining tabs can vary from two to twelve. Optimally,however, four tabs provide a structure that effectively seals in abeverage under pressure and allows for the safe removal of the lid. In afour-tab configuration, a consumer may pull up on one tab andpermanently deform that tab. At that point, the lid's grip on thecontainer is uneven, causing the lid to flex away from the containerwhere the tab has been deformed. This flexure permits the contents todegas while the lid is still fixed to the container. The consumer thenpulls up and deforms a retaining tab adjacent to the already deformedtab in order to completely remove the lid from the container. Thistwo-tab removal prevents the lid from propelling off the container whena single tab is pulled up or deformed.

Referring to FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the stress v. strainrelationship. Stress is the amount of force per unit area applied to thematerial, while strain is the amount of deformation an objectexperiences compared to its original size and shape. The portion to theleft of the yield strength is elastic deformation, meaning that once thestress (i.e., force) is removed, the material will return to itsoriginal size and shape. The portion to the right of the yield strengthis plastic deformation that is irreversible—so when the stress isremoved the material will not return to its original size and shape. Thetype of material used, the shape of that material and the placement ofthe stress will all affect the shape of the stress/strain graph.Therefore the lid is constructed such that the stress (i.e., force)experienced by the bend axis 110 is elastic for the movement required topress-fit the lid 10 onto the container 20 (i.e., the movement of thelid 10 from the position in FIG. 7A to the position in FIG. 7B), andplastic when a larger force is applied to the retaining tab 30 (i.e.,the movement of the tab 30 from the position in FIG. 8C to the positionin FIG. 8D). In other words, the linear portion of the stress/straingraph should allow for the compression fit, but pulling of the retainertab 30 past the linear region permanently deforms the tab.

Because one of skill in the art should recognize that infinite designchoices may be implemented to meet these criteria, it should be apparentthat the claims that follow are intended to cover all these variants.For example, one potential design may use aluminum which is a morepliable material, while another design may use steel that is lesspliable. Not only may the material be varied, but the relative thicknessthroughout the lid may be changed. So for a material that has a yieldstrength that is too low, extra material may be placed on thedeformation region to increase the yield strength enough to allow asufficient amount of strain to accommodate the press fit. And by addingmore material to accommodate the press fit, the amount of force neededto overcome the yield strength would increase. To make the lid easilyremovable by a consumer, the length L of the tab 30 (i.e., the diagonalreceiving wall 120) might need to be lengthened to amplify the torsionalforce experienced at the bend axis 110. Therefore, it should be apparentthat a lid design with various thicknesses, lengths and shapes may notwork when constructed out of different materials. Further, theembodiments described herein have referred to a metal lid. It would beapparent to those of skill in the art that other suitable materials maybe used, such as, but not limited to, plastics and composites.

In the preferred embodiment, the lid is constructed by stamping it outof a piece of steel. The thickness of the steel is relatively constantthroughout the lid. The benefit to stamping is that is inexpensive andrequires few manufacturing steps. For areas where the lid is toexperience force and the design would require a more rigid structure,the steel can be stamped to change the moment of inertia in thedirection of the expected force. For example, the strength rib 130changes the moment of inertia of the diagonal receiving wall 120 suchthat the diagonal receiving wall 120 does not bend (or at leastminimally bends) when a force is applied to the distal end 140. Thisconstruction effectively transfers the bending energy applied to thedistal end 140 to a position where there is no structure that changesthe moment of inertia—i.e., the bend axis 110. This could also beachieved by adding material to the diagonal retaining wall 120, but thatwould require additional manufacturing steps. Likewise, the top cover 80may have strengthening ribs 200 to prevent the flexing of the top cover80 when the consumer is attempting to remove the lid.

The strength of fingers varies between individuals, but it has beenreported that the pull strength of the index finger in the populationhas a mean of between 40 and 60 N, with a standard deviation of 19-25 N.See MEASUREMENT AND PREDICTION OF SINGLE AND MULTI-DIGIT FINGERSTRENGTH, A. DiDomenico and M. Nussbaum, Ergonomics, 2003, Vol. 46, No.15, pgs. 1531-1548. Therefore to accommodate a significant portion ofthe population, including one standard deviation below the mean, themaximum pull force in the retainer tab should be no more than 20 N. Butbecause this force is applied to the distal end of the diagonalreceiving wall 140, the force is amplified at the bend axis 110.Increasing the length L of the retaining tab 30 and its diagonalreceiving wall 120 will further amplify the force at the bend axis 110,sufficient enough to overcome the yield strength at the bend axis 110and cause permanent, irreversible deformation. Thus, the bend axis 110and the diagonal receiving wall length L should be constructed such thatthe yield strength is overcome with a force of less than 20 N applied tothe diagonal receiving wall distal end 140.

The previous examples showed a wide-rimmed container that, when viewedfrom a side profile, looks more like a drinking glass than a wide-rimmedglass bottle. Although the wide-rimmed container may be configured invarious slender and elegant shapes, the purest form for the wide-rimmedcontainer is a straight-walled, cylinder shape. Other elegant shapesinclude walls that taper slightly outward from the bottom of thecontainer to form a subtle inverted conical shape. In the preferredembodiments, the wide-rimmed container would appear to have no neck. Ano-neck container is a modern progressive design choice that is quitenovel, although the container may be formed in a myriad of other shapes.

The invention has been described in connection with specific embodimentsthat illustrate examples of the invention but do not limit its scope.Various example systems have been shown and described having variousaspects and elements. Unless indicated otherwise, any feature, aspect orelement of any of these systems may be removed from, added to, combinedwith or modified by any other feature, aspect or element of any of thesystems. As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art,modifications and adaptations to the above-described systems and methodscan be made without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention, which is defined only by the following claims. Moreover, theapplicant expressly does not intend the following claims “and theembodiments in the specification to be strictly coextensive.” Phillipsv. AHW Corp., 415 F.3d 1303, 1323 (Fed. Cir. 2005) (en banc).

1. A beverage container lid for use with a beverage container having abead rim, the bead rim defining an opening and having a cross-sectionalshape with an upper bead point and an outer bead point, the lidcomprising: a top cover adapted to cover the opening; a coupling troughconnected to the top cover and shaped to conform to the cross-sectionalshape of the bead rim, wherein the coupling trough is constructed tocircumscribe the bead rim and extend from the upper bead point to aposition at or higher than the outer bead point; at least two retainingtabs connected to and extending downwardly away from the couplingtrough, the tabs comprising: a coupling trough extension shaped toconform to the cross-sectional shape of the bead rim, wherein thecoupling trough extension is constructed to circumscribe a portion ofthe bead rim and extend from the coupling trough to a position that isbelow the outer bead point, wherein the coupling trough extensionfurther comprises a bend axis with a yield strength; a diagonalreceiving wall connected to and extending downwardly away from thecoupling trough extension, the diagonal receiving wall having a strengthrib, a distal end and a length; and wherein the strength rib increasesthe moment of inertia of the diagonal receiving wall along an axisparallel to the bend axis; and wherein the bend axis and the diagonalreceiving wall length are constructed such that the yield strength isovercome with a force of less than 20 N applied to the diagonalreceiving wall distal end.
 2. The beverage container lid of claim 1,wherein the top cover comprises a cover strength rib.
 3. The beveragecontainer lid of claim 1, wherein the diagonal receiving wall distal endcomprises a finger grab area.
 4. The beverage container lid of claim 3,wherein the finger grab area comprises a downward stamped projectionwith an exposed grip edge.
 5. The beverage container lid of claim 1,further comprising a gasket disposed at least partially in the couplingtrough.
 6. The beverage container lid of claim 1, further comprising atleast four retaining tabs.
 7. The beverage container lid of claim 1,wherein the lid is constructed such that it can elastically withstand acompression force when the lid is pressed onto the beverage container,and wherein the compression force is sufficient to elastically deformthe coupling trough extension about the bend axis such that the couplingtrough extension can move past the outer bead point and return at leastpartially to its pre-deformed shape.
 8. The beverage container lid ofclaim 7, further comprising a gasket disposed at least partially in thecoupling trough, wherein when the coupling trough extension returns atleast partially to its pre-deformed shape, the gasket forms a liquid-and gas-tight seal with the container.
 9. The beverage container lid ofclaim 8, wherein the lid comprises a restorative force that returns thecoupling trough extension to at least partially its pre-deformed shape,and wherein that restorative force is sufficient to maintain the lidonto the beverage container when the contents of the beverage containerexert a pressure of at least 300 KPa on the cover.
 10. The beveragecontainer lid of claim 9, wherein the contents of the beverage containerexert a pressure of at least 500 KPa on the cover.
 11. The beveragecontainer lid of claim 1, wherein the bend axis irreversibly deformswhen a force of less than 20 N is applied to the diagonal receiving walldistal end, thereby providing a visual indication that the lid has beentampered with.
 12. A beverage container lid for use with a beveragecontainer having a bead rim, the bead rim defining an opening and havinga cross-sectional shape with an upper bead point and an outer beadpoint, the lid comprising: a top cover adapted to cover the opening; acoupling trough connected to the top cover and shaped to conform to thecross-sectional shape of the bead rim, wherein the coupling trough isconstructed to circumscribe the bead rim and extend from the upper beadpoint to a position at or higher than the outer bead point; at least tworetaining tabs connected to and extending downwardly away from thecoupling trough, the tabs comprising: a coupling trough extension shapedto conform to the cross-sectional shape of the bead rim, wherein thecoupling trough extension is constructed to circumscribe a portion ofthe bead rim and extend from the coupling trough to a position that isbelow the outer bead point; a diagonal receiving wall connected to andextending downwardly away from the coupling trough extension, thediagonal receiving wall having a strength rib, a distal end and alength; and the coupling trough further comprising a cut or a stampedscore line adjacent to at least one of the coupling trough extensions,wherein the coupling trough extension and the cut or a stamped scoreline define a bend axis with a yield strength; wherein the strength ribincreases the moment of inertia of the diagonal receiving wall along anaxis parallel to the bend axis; wherein the cut or stamped score line,bend axis and the diagonal receiving wall length are constructed suchthat the yield strength is overcome with a force of less than 20 Napplied to the diagonal receiving wall distal end.
 13. The beveragecontainer lid of claim 12, wherein the top cover comprises a coverstrength rib.
 14. The beverage container lid of claim 12, wherein thediagonal receiving wall distal end comprises a finger grab area.
 15. Thebeverage container lid of claim 14, wherein the finger grab areacomprises a downward stamped projection with an exposed grip edge. 16.The beverage container lid of claim 12, further comprising a gasketdisposed at least partially in the coupling trough.
 17. The beveragecontainer lid of claim 12, further comprising at least four retainingtabs.
 18. The beverage container lid of claim 12, wherein the lid isconstructed such that it can elastically withstand a compression forcewhen the lid is pressed onto the beverage container, and wherein thecompression force is sufficient to elastically deform the couplingtrough extension about the bend axis such that the coupling troughextension can move past the outer bead point and return at leastpartially to its pre-deformed shape.
 19. The beverage container lid ofclaim 18, further comprising a gasket disposed at least partially in thecoupling trough, wherein when the coupling trough extension returns atleast partially to its pre-deformed shape, the gasket forms a liquid-and gas-tight seal with the container.
 20. The beverage container lid ofclaim 19, wherein the lid comprises a restorative force that returns thecoupling trough extension to at least partially its pre-deformed shape,and wherein that restorative force is sufficient to maintain the lidonto the beverage container when the contents of the beverage containerexert a pressure of at least 300 KPa on the cover.
 21. The beveragecontainer lid of claim 20, wherein the contents of the beveragecontainer exert a pressure of at least 500 KPa on the cover.
 22. Thebeverage container lid of claim 12, wherein the bend axis irreversiblydeforms when a force of less than 20 N is applied to the diagonalreceiving wall distal end, thereby providing a visual indication thatthe lid has been tampered with.